


Deja Vu

by OreoLuvr13



Series: Family Ties Verse [3]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Angst, Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 01:47:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16337393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreoLuvr13/pseuds/OreoLuvr13
Summary: Sequel to "War Cry." J has a bad night and Baz is reminded of another bad night that took place months ago.





	Deja Vu

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sorta sequel to “War Cry.” Just as in “War Cry” this takes place after “Family Ties” end. It does include a big scene from a future chapter of “Family Ties,” so strap in boys and girls. If you don’t want to know what’s going to happen, do not read this story. Be warned, this chapter makes references to the sexual abuse of a minor.

Baz is dead tired. The last few days have been both physically and mentally exhausting. So, it shouldn’t come to any real surprise that he did not hear Lena entering his bedroom in the middle of the night.

“Daddy?” Lena whispers.

Nothing.

“Daddy,” Lena whispers again but this time louder as she steps closer to her father’s bedside. Still nothing.

“Daddy, wake up.” Lena says as she shakes his shoulder. Baz doesn’t wake up, but Lena isn’t deterred. It takes a couple more tries, but eventually Baz jerks himself awake.

“Lena? What?” He asks turning his head towards his daughter with his eyes still closed.

“Daddy…”

“It’s late, Lena.” Baz says with a hint of aggravation in his tired tone. “Go back to bed.”

“It’s J,” Lena says. “Something’s wrong.”

With those four words any semblance of sleep is gone. Was it Javi? Did he break into the house to finish off what he started a couple of nights ago? No, wait. Javi is dead. He and Smurf made sure of that. What the hell could have happened then? It’s only been a few hours since he ventured off to bed leaving J sleeping on the couch and Lena tucked away in her own bed.

“What’s wrong with him?” Baz asks sitting up.

“I think he’s sick,” Lena replies.

Sick? True, J’s breathing has been a little off since Javi beat and nearly drowned him three nights ago, but that’s par for the course with bruised ribs. Still, he better check on the kid. Baz turns on the light on his nightstand as he slowly acclimates himself to being awake at this ungodly hour.

“Come on, Daddy.” Lena says pulling on his arm.

“I’m coming,” Baz says as he follows Lena into the living room. He doesn’t have to go far to understand why Lena woke him up. J’s breathing isn’t just labored, it’s a series of painful, gasping breaths. The exact same breathing he heard not too long ago. On another bad night.

_"Jesus Christ!” Craig yells as he towers over Damien. “What the fuck!”_

_“J?! J?!” Pope calls frantically as he leans down by the kid’s withering form. “Look at me, J!”_

_Craig gives Damien a hard kick to the back. “You sick fuck!”_

_Pope is trying to tend to J and Craig is restraining Damien, but all Baz can do is stare there blindly watching as the scene in front of him unfolds. Stand there staring at J’s wheezing body. His belt gone. His jeans low, too low and unzipped. Jesus, were they too late…again?_

_“Baz!” Pop calls out over his shoulder. “You gotta get over here and help me with him.”_

_Baz breaks out of his daze to kneel beside Pope. Jesus. The kid is a mess. Not just any kid, his kid. The DNA test proved that. J’s face is bloodied. The kid is gasping for breath like he’s a fish out of water. The hand that’s clawing at his chest in the desperate attempts to draw in air is bruised and swollen. He fought back._

_“I think the fucker choked him with his own belt,” Pope explains. His eyes flickering from the discarded belt nearby to the bright read mark covering the teenager’s neck._

_“We need to get him to the hospital,” Baz says as he gently probes J’s neck stopping when the gentle touch causes the boy to flinch away._

_Pope shakes his head. “We can’t.”_

_“What do you mean we can’t? Fucking look at him. Listen to him, Pope! He can’t fucking breathe. For all we know his windpipe could be crushed.”_

_“I know that,” Pope explains. “But as soon as a doc or nurse takes one look at him, they’re going to call Child Protective Services. He’s still under eighteen. Look. At. Him."_

_Baz does  look over J. Pope is right. One look at J and CPS is going to get called in a heartbeat. The bit, bloody lip. The finger shaped bruises where J’s shirt must have ridden up during his confrontation with Damien. And that’s just what he can see. Who knows what horrors are underneath the clothes J’s wearing. Then there’s the sickening, slightly salty smell of semen that’s wafting off the kid…_

_“You’re right. What are we going to do?” Baz asks._

_“Get Carlos on the phone,” Pope orders._

XXXXX

“Hey, kid.” Baz says as he kneels down in front of J. “How you feeling?”

J doesn’t say anything, He doesn’t have to. His fever bright eyes, wheezing breaths, and clawing at his chest tell Baz all he needs to know.

“Damien?” J asks as he puts his hand on his neck almost as if seeking out his old injury that’s long been healed.

“No, J. It’s Baz.” He says calmly as he places his hand on the teenager’s forehead to try and gauge his temperature. Shit the kid is on fire. “I’m going to get you some help, Okay? Just hold on.” Baz says as he places his hand over J’s. Baz takes out his phone and makes a call to Carlos. That was the easier phone call to make. It takes no time to pick a rendezvous place and time. The next call is going to be a little tougher.

 **“Do you know what time it is?** ”

“I need you to come over here and watch Lena,” Baz says from the living’s room entry way, as he watches Lena climb onto the couch.

**“What’s wrong?” Pope asks alarmed.**

“I have to get J to Carlos to get him checked out. His breathing’s all off. I don’t know if it’s the broken ribs or the little dip in the pool but whatever it is he needs to get looked at.”

**“Is he going to be able to make it? Or should he go to the ER?”**

“He’ll be fine. He’s not coughing up blood so he didn’t pop a lung. My thinking is that if he was able to make the drive after Damien, then this should be piece of cake,” Baz says as he watches Lena inch closer and closer to J.

**“Okay, I’ll be over there in 20. I’ll take care of Lena. You take care of J.”**

And once again, Baz is not in the safety of his own home but back at that shitty apartment eight months ago.

_After putting all the pieces together, he, Craig, and Pope burst into Damien’s apartment to find him on top of a struggling J. Craig and Pope pulls him off of J. After assessing J’s condition and deciding to take J to Carlos instead of the ER, they have a new problem on their hands._

_“What are we going to do with this asshole?” Craig asks as he slaps Damien roughly on the cheek._

_“I’ll deal with it when I get back.” Baz says as he and Pope move J into a sitting position, his non injured hand grasping Baz’ painfully._

_Pope shakes his head. “Nah, man. I’ll take care of Damien, you take care of J. You’re his father.”_

_Baz looks down at J’s hand still grasping his own. “Okay, then. Let’s go.”_

XXXXX

“Let’s go, J.” Baz says as he holds J firmly, but not too firmly, as he and Pope carefully maneuver J from the house to his truck. The kid isn’t fighting them but he isn’t exactly helping them either.

“Come on, Kid.” Pope adds from J’s other side. “We’re almost there. One foot in front of the other. There you go.”

Baz struggles to get the door unlocked while still maintaining his hold on J. It takes way longer than it should but finally they get him into the passenger side seat. When Baz leans over J to fasten his seatbelt , his hand accidentally touches the kid’s stomach causing J to flinch away and begin muttering a string of “no’s” and “don’t touches.”

“This is not going to work,” Pope sighs. “He’s not even lucid.”

“It’ll be fine. It has to be. I can’t risk taking him to the ER. Not with that leg gash. They’re going to want to know what happened and why we stapled it shut.”

Pope still doesn’t look like he’s entirely convinced that this is a good idea. “If you’re sure. I still think maybe you should have Craig come along with you guys.”

Baz shakes his head. “He’s not going to be any help to me. Craig is probably high as fuck right now. I can’t deal with him when he’s like that. Not with J like this.”

Pope nods as he closes the passenger door. “Okay, you better get going. Keep me updated.”

“Will do,” Baz says as he hops into the driver’s seat and hurries out of the drive way.

The drive to their agreed upon destination is usually not a long one. Especially since it’s in the middle of the night so there’s virtually no traffic. But for Baz, it feels like it’s the longest ride ever. The fever has a firm grip on the teenager as he moves restlessly in his seat.

“Easy, J.” Baz says as he grips J’s shoulder. “You’re okay.”

“No…no…” J whines as he tries to shake Baz' touch. “Leave me alone, Damien.”

Baz slaps his hand on the steering wheel in frustration. It seems that this sudden onset fever has wiped months of progress. Up to that night at Damien’s apartment, the last night he would ever touch J again, Baz and J were slowly getting closer. Their newfound father and son relationship was moving at a snail’s pace, but it was going in the right direction. At first Baz refused to admit he was J’s father, but then Lena got sick. So sick that she needed a bone marrow transplant. Of course all of the members of the Cody family got tested, but J was the only match. Not just a match, but a perfect match. Baz couldn’t deny it any longer, J was his son.

Yes, J is his son but Baz didn’t really know what to do with that information. So for the longest time, he let J do all the work. J put in the effort. Baz was busy anyway with helping Lena recover from the transplant. But their relationship was improving. Then everything with Damien came to ahead.

With that a lot of the progress in their father-son relationship was gone. J became quieter. More withdrawn. Baz was at a loss of what to do, but over time they started to get close again. J learned that not all touches were bad. That people didn’t do nice things simply to get something in return. Baz learned to open his heart and let J in. That even though he missed out on so much of J’s life, he’s there for whatever the future may bring.

That’s why it is especially painful to see J shying away from his touch now.

“I’m sorry, J.” Baz says as he looks through the windshield. “ We don’t really talk about Damien. But, I should have picked up that something was going on with Damien. Pope did. I’m your father and I couldn’t see what was in front of me all that time.”

J lets out a pained moan as he leans back against the leather seats. “Don’t…don’t…”

“You’re always looking after someone. First, your mom. Then, Lena.” Baz says turning towards the teenager. “You’re so busy looking after everyone else that you don’t look after yourself. I guess that’s where I have to step in.”

A particularly rough shiver runs through the kid’s body.

“We’re almost there,” Baz says. He hesitantly moves his hand to run it through J’s sweaty curls. Afraid that the kid will shy away from his touch again. But much to his surprise instead of shying away from Baz’ touch, J leans into it. Sighing contently. “We’re almost there,” Baz says as he drives on.

XXXXX

**“How is he doing?” Pope asks.**

“Better,” Baz says from the hotel bathroom. Away from J who is finally resting peacefully. “His fever is down from the 103.7 that he was running last night. Carlos hooked him up with an IV. Fluids. Antibiotics. Fever reducers. The works.”

**Pope lets out a loud whistle. “Sounds like you had a rough night. And morning. It’s already after two.”**

“Tell me about it,” Baz says wiping his eyes. “How’s Lena?”

**“She’s pissed that you wouldn’t let her go with you guys.”**

“I bet she is,” Baz says as he hears movement coming from the other side of the bathroom door.

**“Baz? Hello?” Pope asks. From the sounds of his voice he must have been calling his name for a while now.**

Shit. He really needs to get some sleep. It’s been more than 12 hours since Lena woke him up. “Sorry, Pope. I’m exhausted. What were you saying?”

**“is J awake? Lena wants to talk to him.”**

“Let me check. He’s been sleeping for the last six hours,” Baz says as he leaves the bathroom. J is moving around. But, it’s not like the frantic, feverish movements from earlier.

“Hi,” Baz calls softly as he approaches the bed. “You awake?”

J turns to him, opening his eyes to half slits. “What ‘ime is it?”

Baz looks at his watch. "It’s almost 3. You feeling any better?”

J adjusts his position. “A little.”

“I’ll take it. You sound better. Hey, uh…Lena wants to talk to you. Are you up for it? I can tell her we’ll call her back after you get some more rest, if you want.”

J is already holding his hand out for the phone. “Nah, I’ll talk to her.”

Baz hands over his phone. There’s nothing else Baz can do for the moment, so he decides to lay down for a bit. Carlos is going to be back at five to check J over. See if he can get rid of the IV. He’ll wait and see how J is feeling. If he’s feeling up to it, maybe they’ll head home tonight. If not, then tomorrow.

As Baz settles in on the lumpy mattress his attention waves from the calming thought of his kids talking over the phone to another time when his kids were together. Another time when J was hurting. And Lena was there for him. Her mere presence serving as a source of comfort.

_“You took care of it?” Baz asks from the living room doorway, watching J and Lena on the couch._

_“Damien won’t be a problem ever again.” Pope promises._

_“Tell me you made him scream,” Baz says wishfully with cold eyes._

_“I did,” Pope says. He quirks an eyebrow up. “Are you okay, man? It’s not like you to say something like that.”_

_“You didn’t see the bruises. Finger shaped ones on his hips. The cigarette burns on his thighs,” Baz continues to look on as Lena slowly moves closer to her brother. “He fucking bit him, Pope. Carlos had to give him a damn tetanus shot.”_

_“Jesus. Did he say why he didn’t come to us?” Pope asks._

_“He didn’t come right out and say it, but I think it had something to do with Lena. The fucker probably figured out she was his soft spot and he took advantage of that.” Baz turns away from the living room and looks at his brother._

_“How did you figure it out?”_

_“When Julia and I were kids. Before Smurf took you in, before Toby. Smurf was seeing this asshole named Paul. He hated me, but he really liked Julia. Paid her extra attention. Talked about how pretty and smart Julia was. But then Julia got quiet. Really quiet. She tried to find every excuse not to be home." He motions to J. "It was like watching Julia all over again.”_

_“Jesus,” Baz says as he turns his attention back to the kids. From the slightly whistling noise coming from his newly broken nose, it looks like J is sleeping. No doubt the small pharmacy that’s running through his veins has a part in that. Lena is resting on one side of J, close but not so close that she may accidentally bump his broken hand. On the other side of J, safely secured under his arm is Lena’s beloved sea otter, Lawrence._

_“We’ll be okay,” Baz says as he turns to walk away from the living room._

XXXXX

“I’ll be okay, Lena.” J says over the phone. “I’m taking my medicine and will be better in no time.”

Baz closes his eyes. J is right. He’ll be okay. And if J’s okay then Lena will be okay. And as long as the kids are okay, Baz will be. Baz lets out another sigh as he allows sleep to take hold of him.


End file.
